Cooking: Stock

Since I am doing Freezer Week this week, I have been cleaning out my freezer and making stock. Truth be told, most of the stuff I throw into the freezer is there just to make stock. I use the stock to make all kinds of things but mostly soup and sauces.  I am going to take you through my stock making process.


Stock Making


Step 1. 

Collect odds and ends for stock. I keep a bag in the freezer to pop veggie ends and meat bones and scraps into.  I keep separate bags for beef and chicken. When I have one or two bags full I move on to step 2. 



What I put in the Stock Bag:

Bones, skin, pan drippings, extras (chicken necks, gizzards, etc. NO LIVER).
Carrot ends
Onion ends
Tomato stem ends
Celery leaves and ends
Green onion tops and ends
Pepper tops
Garlic ends and skins
Herb stems
Spinach ends
Any other vegetable scraps that don't have a strong aftertaste or turn bitter


What I keep out of the Stock Bag:

Onion peels
Carrot peels
Pork
Vegetables from the Brassica family (Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, etc)
Livers


Alternatively you can make stock with fresh meat and vegetables. 



Step 2.

Cooking the stock.  Place all the contents of your stock bag(s) in a large soup/stock pot. Still frozen is fine. If your pot looks vegetable poor, feel free to add: an onion (cut in quarters), a carrot or two (broken in half), and a stalk of celery or two (also broken in half). I usually have enough veggie ends and bits to make this unnecessary. Fill the pot with cold water to cover contents by no more than 1 inch. Add several cracks of black pepper. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Place over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Only lightly cover the pot at this point. When the pot comes to a boil you can turn down the heat leaving the pot simmering on a low setting. If you wish gently remove any foam from the top of the pot. (This leaves you with a clearer stock. I don't bother). Leave pot to simmer for several hours.


Step 3.

Remove from heat. Strain your stock into another large pot or container. Place your container of stock into a sink of cold water to cool for 10-20 minutes.  Pour stock into storage containers.  I use 1 quart yogurt tubs. Label each one with the type of stock and the date. Place into the refrigerator to cool completely. Move to the freezer when cold. The bones and cooked ends left in the pot can now be (in ascending order of extremity) either thrown away, composted or added to and run through the process a second time. I add more pepper, an onion, a carrot, a stalk of celery, a splash of vinegar and cover with water again.  Then I repeat steps 2 and 3. I never make stock with the same bones more than twice.




This recipe provides me with a rich stock that gels nicely when cooled. Now I am ready to make soup!

Thoughtful Cooking,

Kristin